Red Land senior Shane Dressler, shown here playing for Pennsylvania in the Big 26 Classic over the summer, accepted a scholarship to Division I VCU. (PN photo)

Cumberland Valley shortstop Matt Davis, who played for the Capital region in the Keystone State Games, will head to Richmond, too. (PN photo)

Shane Dressler's ultimate goal is to one day call himself a professional baseball player. Recently, Red Land's power-hitting first baseman took the next logical step on that long road to stardom, using the NCAA early-signing period to claim a scholarship to Division I Virginia Commonwealth.

“It was the perfect fit. I really got to know the coaches and that was important. I really hit it off with hitting coach Jeff Palumbo,” said Dressler, who gave VCU his verbal commitment in August of 2011, well before his junior season with the Patriots last spring.

“Of course, the offer was very good, and I have the potential to go down there and start as a true freshman. Their track record of getting players into the major leagues is a plus.”

For the 6-3½, 220-pound Dressler, who said he drew interest from Virginia Tech, St. John's, Boston College and a handful of other top-notch programs, the recruiting buzz heated up following summer sessions with Lancaster-based Elite Baseball.

It also helped that the majority of attention came from programs in the south, where Dressler wanted to continue his career.

“We went up and down the East coast and I got to play with a lot of Division I kids,” Dressler said.

“I had it in my mind to go south, but strictly because the weather is better down there and there's a lot more time to get on the field. It was definitely a contributing factor, close enough for my parents to come see me play.”

A Mid-Penn all-star as a junior last season, Dressler hit .447 with 23 RBI and 19 runs scored for Nate Ebbert's Patriots (16-8), which fell one game shy of the PIAA Tournament following a 4-1 loss to Central Dauphin in the D3-AAAA consolation round.

Marked as a Top 5 prospect in the state by Prep Baseball Report, Dressler also participating the inaugural Big 26 Classic in the summer. He'll join a VCU program that went 34-25 last year before bowing in the Colonial Athletic Conference Tournament.

Under the guidance of head coach Shawn Stiffler, the Rams will enter the Atlantic 10 Conference this season. Stiffler replaces Paul Keyes, who passed away from cancer on Nov. 3 at the age of 50.

“Shane is exactly what you are looking for when recruiting a left-handed power hitting first baseman. He has the ability to hit for average as well as drive the baseball to all fields,” said Stiffler in a prepared release. VCU has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 13 seasons.

“We look forward to his left-handed presence in our line-up for the next couple of years.”

Dressler plans to major in criminal justice with a potential minor in either coaching or psychology. Right now, though, Dressler is concentrating on his senior season.

“I'm just continuing to work on my grades and try to hit everyday,” Dressler said.

THE VCU PIPELINE

Stiffler, who doubles as VCU's recruiting coordinator, has certainly been busy mining talent from the MPC. Cumberland Valley shortstop Matt Davis, who verbally committed in July, also signed early with the new A-10 outfit. A Patriot-News Big 11 pick, Davis hit .348 with five home runs and 21 RBI last season to share Commonwealth Division MVP honors with Cedar Cliff's Tyler Orris.

Carlisle hurler Brian Goodling, who has steered the Herd since his freshman season, also committed to VCU. The standout hit .370 and produced 41 strikeouts and a 1.71 ERA over 58 innings in the spring. Goodling joined future teammates Davis and Dressler on that accomplished list of Commonwealth all-stars.

THE HITS CONTINUE

Several MPC stars solidified their next destination, including Cumberland Valley pitchers Hunter Schryver and Matt Ober.

Ober, who signed with Division II Seton Hill in Greensburg, missed the 2012 campaign with an elbow injury but managed to post 26 strikeouts and a 1.95 ERA this past summer as a member of the Midstate Mavericks.

Schryver, a southpaw who also toiled in the Big 26 Classic, will join skipper Joe Godri at Villanova. Schryver is one of five pitchers in the Wildcats' recruiting class.

West Perry catcher Brendan Hower, among the leaders that paced Mustangs (20-3) run to the D3-AAA quarterfinals, picked Juniata College. Hower, dropped in the 2-hole by coach Jeff Sanno, banked an impressive .419 on-base percentage and swiped 15 bases. He also gunned down seven of 22 behind the plate.